Teachers of the elementary to the college level have, though the years, expressed a deep concern as to the students' lack of knowledge and skill in regard to the understanding of world geography. Educators and administrators must meet the challenge of today's world by providing students with the necessary skills to realize achievement in geography, as a subject, so they may more fully understand the physical and social aspects of the complex global world on which we live. It is a belief of many educators that if pupils from the elementary grades through high school, including those in special education, are given a clear idea of the world as it is from the standpoint of geography, then and only then will these pupils be able to understand the world in all of its aspects.
A world globe is, of course, a familiar and time-tested teaching device and a number of globes of various types have been developed to use as instructional aids. Examples of such globes includes those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,523,188 (Flood); 2,279,162 (Dupler); 2,957,251 (Nystad et al); 3,016,629 (Case); 3,037,300 (Grosser); and 3,374,560 (Forsyth). The Flood patent discloses a globe wherein a series of maps, showing different features such as topographical features, political divisions and the like, are pasted one on top of the other on the globe. The Dupler patent discloses an illuminated globe. The Nystad et al patent discloses a jigsaw globe puzzle wherein map pieces are adhered to a globular shell using different forms of fastening elements. The Case patent discloses a globe including overlays in the form of transparent plastic segments which can be attached to the globe to show changes in political boundaries, geology and the like. The Grosser patent discloses a globe wherein replaceable "display pieces" in the form of hemispheric shells are mounted on a support and connected together by interlocking ribs. The Forsyth patent discloses a teaching aid including a frame or skeleton globe on which resilient pieces representing land masses are mounted.